


In The Middle Of Ocean Drive

by mmeadowlarkk



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Case Fic, F/M, Humor, Love Confessions, Season/Series 07, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29597877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmeadowlarkk/pseuds/mmeadowlarkk
Summary: A criminal died and the killer seems to have vanished away, will Mulder and Scully find him or will he find them first?
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 14
Kudos: 23
Collections: X-Files Dialogue Fanfic Exchange (2021)





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChooseYourFighter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChooseYourFighter/gifts).



> For Charlotte (ChooseYourFighter) who requested time travel, banter, hurt/comfort (emphasis on the comfort), romance/fluff that doesn’t fall into sappiness, and smut. I wanted to cover most of what you asked and it turned into a three chapter fic that I am sharing with love. Thank you for your prompt!
> 
> My deepest gratitude to Jaime for putting up with my writing spirals and being the most supportive beta. 
> 
> Thank you in advance to anyone willing to join me in on this tiny trip.

**In The Middle Of Ocean Drive**

  
  


“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” 

The gentle sound of the green light to unfasten their seatbelts accompanies Mulder as he offers Scully a fresh bagel in a paper bag. He finished his own before they boarded, it was still warm. 

“That’s not what I asked.” She softly pushes his hand down and puts the bag back on his lap.

“Yeah, well, I thought it was important that you knew.” His other hand holds a cup of coffee that was meant to be for her but she’s been too busy questioning everything to accept it. 

“I knew. I’m a medical doctor.” 

He leans in with a smirk, a failed attempt at withholding laughter. He’s so close, if she moved the tiniest bit their lips would brush. 

The plane bumps once and their noses touch. She jumps apart immediately. 

“Damn it, Mulder, cut the crap.” Scully hisses at him hoping that for once he’ll tire and cut to the chase.

“Why are you upset?” He’s apparently in his therapist Mulder mode where the more anxious she gets, the calmer he sounds. It’s on purpose and she hates it. 

“You refuse to tell me  _ why _ I’m on a 6 AM flight to Miami on an empty stomach and hiding it from our boss.” She omits the part where he was trying to distract her by confusing her yet again about whether or not he was going to kiss her. But then again, he shouldn’t have because they’re partners and he’s her best friend. They’ve stayed professional about it. There’s also the possibility that the feeling is not mutual and all the other signs have been circumstantial. 

“I did tell you, it’s a murder.” He smiles, ever clueless of her inner turmoil. 

“A drug lord was killed in South Beach, what’s new? Where’s the x-file?” 

“The detective reached out only because we deal with these sorts of things.” 

“We do not.” She watches him try her coffee, her stomach growls in response but the white noise of the plane plays in her favor. 

“Paranormal, Scully.” 

“What’s paranormal in a cartel?” 

“Anything that lacks explanation can be called paranormal.” 

“Like extraterrestrials? The drug lord was abducted.” 

“No, they have the body.” 

“Okay, then t _ he killer  _ was abducted.” 

“I don’t think that’s it. It isn’t the first time it happened.” 

“How do you know that?”

“The detective told me.” 

“How do _ they  _ know that? Why hadn’t they investigated it before? Who’s this detective?” She’s only pushing his buttons at this point, seven years of working with this man and she’s never gone into a mission knowing or fully understanding what she’s getting into. 

“I don’t know.” 

“At least tell me a name. What if I know them?” 

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“You don’t know who I know.” Her defensiveness is playful, challenging. For someone who denies herself of reading into things, she can’t stop herself lately, she’s extra-introspective since he disoriented her by kissing her on New Year’s and never bringing it up again. “Why are you being mysterious?” She means that about whatever game they’re playing but lets it sound like it’s about the nonsense adventure he’s dragging her to. 

“I’m not. And even if I knew the gory details, I’d rather not tell you here.” 

“You?” She chuckles, “you suddenly care about discretion.” She catches herself smiling at him like he’s the most hilarious being, looking down to hide her blushed cheeks, she reaches for the cup of coffee he was still holding in his right hand, her fingers linger against his for a bit longer than necessary. “Well, then tell me why you couldn’t tell our boss.” 

When she takes a sip it crosses her mind that he drank from it before. An indirect kiss. 

“Does that mean you’re accepting my bagel offer?” 

She surprises him by curling her fingers over the paper bag that was resting on his crotch and bringing it to her lap.

“Only because this is the most important meal of the day.” 

He didn’t answer her last question either.

* * *

Mulder parks their rental car on a conveniently saved spot right in front of the main entrance. Scully looks up as she steps out of it, the blue lights welcome her:  _ The Colonial Hotel. _

She could ask why they’re staying here and why is there a saved parking spot for them, but knowing better, she follows him inside. 

He’s trying to check them in while she observes the mint green surroundings. According to her and Mulder’s assumptions, there’s only three ways to get out, the main entrance, the staff door, and the kitchen. four if you count jumping off the windows. 

The young receptionist’s voice draws her attention when she hears Mulder argue against an “Ocean Front Suite” with one king bed. 

“Can we book another room?” 

“Unfortunately, we’re fully booked, I apologize for the inconvenience.” The receptionist’s whose name tag reads Jack replies in an automatic recorded machine tone. 

“What’s going on?” She mutters to Mulder while he’s dialing someone’s phone number. 

He’s about to give up when the sound of high heels clacking against the ancient marble floor make them look towards a tall and stunning woman in a powerful pantsuit. She’s walking in their direction with a bright grin. 

“You can call me Honey.” She shakes Mulder’s hand and quickly disclaims, “that’s my name.” At his lack of reply she introduces herself better, “I’m Detective H. Forbes. I assumed you recognized my voice.” 

He apologizes and greets her back.

Scully clears her throat and Mulder asks before it gets more awkward, “Why is there only one bed?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says sounding like she really isn’t, “I didn’t know you were bringing company. But I’ll keep your secret.” She winks, addressing Mulder like they’ve known each other for the longest time. 

“Special Agent Dana Scully.” Scully steps in between her and Mulder, closing her badge in Detective Forbes' face as fast as she had unfolded it. 

“Oh, so you’re not-” Detective Forbes looks down at Scully, not stepping back, too confident for her own good.

“She’s my partner.” Mulder explains apologetically.

“Got it. Sorry about that.” As if she was given permission, she walks around Scully to take a step closer to Mulder and whisper, “You know if the bed feels small, you’re welcome to my guest room.”

“It’s a king bed.” Mulder’s side smile is that of a flattered rockstar and the receptionist is taking forever to give them the keys, Scully needs a reason to leave this encounter. 

“Still.” Honey Forbes flips her long blonde hair back and puts her sunglasses back on. “Listen,  _ agents _ ,” she stretches the plural noun in a dismissive tone, “I can’t stay, as you know, I am not allowed to ponder on this x-file thing because they want to close it as unsolved, given that the victim was a criminal and all. I could elaborate but,” her phone rings again, “I really have to go. I’ll try to escape around lunchtime and see what you’ve got.” 

“That’ll be 50 dollars for early check in.” The receptionist smiles fakely at them again. 

“Sure, fine, whatever.” Scully mimics her while she hands him the credit card.

“Scully, why don’t you take our bags upstairs while I go over the details with Detective, uh-”

“Honey.” She bitterly finishes his sentence and takes his overnight bag with her up to their Ocean Front Suite on the third floor questioning, yet again, all her life choices.

A person named Honey really just winked at him in front of her. 

The poster on the elevator insults her: 

_ Welcome to Miami. _

* * *

An hour and half an airport bagel later, they’re sitting in the tight space that passes as the security manager’s office. 

It’s the fourth time they’ve gone over the moment the victim is pulled into a blind spot by a force they can’t see and is thrown back into the hallway as a corpse. A silent confrontation. They’ve asked about the blind spot, the room is right in the middle of the hallway, if someone else was involved, there should be footage of them leaving the crime scene through one side or the other. 

“The camera pointing to that area doesn’t work, but since it’s sealed due to plumbing issues, there’s no need.” Tony shrugs off the excuse like he hasn’t seen a person turn out dead before his cameras. 

“What's the room number?” Scully reviews the file again, the autopsy reports death by strangling. 

“306.”

“Can we check it out?” Mulder requests.

“It’s sealed.” There’s that word again, Tony rewinds the recording. The scene replays before them.

“You said you searched all over the property.” 

“Not 306.” 

“Why?”

“Only housekeeping has access to it. They would’ve told us if anything was amiss.” 

“We want to see it.” 

“I mean, be my guest. But I’m not responsible if something happens to you.” 

“In a room that’s out of service?” 

“Look, we call it The Forbidden Room. The last person that stayed there was killed in one of those awful shootings that used to happen often around here back in the day.” 

“What does back in the day mean?” 

“You know, the Miami Vice days, it was in the early 80’s. I was there.” 

“A haunted room.” Mulder turns to Scully, “We’re on the third floor too.”

“You’re on your own, folks.” Tony stops the video and turns to them, staying purposely silent to invite them out of his gloomy tiny office.

“You’ve been enough help, thanks.” 

* * *

The elevator doors open on the third floor, with a master key in hand, they’re headed to 306. 

“But seriously, Honey?” She tries to be lighthearted about it, taking advantage of the brief moment when she’s not feeling territorial and is able to laugh about it with him. She passes him going into the room.

“That’s her parents’ fault, Scully.” Mulder sounds a little more condescending than he should while he closes the door with his back. 

She takes a deep breath to keep herself from arguing any further, focusing on work is better. 

They scan the place with their eyes and hands, it’s a simple double-bed room, she heads to the bathroom. It has no running water but everything else seems normal. No one hides behind the curtain. 

Mulder calls her name and she comes to join him, he’s leaning against the window frame, “Ever seen Scarface?” 

“What?” her expression must be puzzled because for once he cares to explain. 

“It’s the 80s outside!” 

“Of course not, we’re just in South Beach.” She follows his gaze and opens the window. It is indeed hard to tell if it’s still the year 2000, there are too many people wearing baggy pastel clothes and while she’s looking for any defining difference she notices it’s nighttime outside when it’s barely noon for them. She can’t unsee it once it hits her, the cars, the music, the scrunchies, everyone’s perm, he’s right. “That’s impossible.” she mumbles to herself. 

“I think we just time traveled.” He’s smug about it like he knew it was coming. 

“I couldn’t possibly know, you’re the expert. You’ve been to the Bermuda Triangle.” Her cheeks color at the reference, she was losing her mind thinking he was lost and once she found him he told her he loved her. They’ve acted like it was a fever dream. It wasn’t recent and she wants to change the subject but he probably doesn’t even remember.

He’s astonished looking outside, the streetlights accentuate his features, “What if this happened so you could believe me?” his breath steams the glass and she can’t ask if he’s talking about time travel or loving her. 

* * *

_ FBI Headquarters. _

_Edgar Hoover Building._

_ Washington D.C.  _

Assistant Director Walter Skinner takes his glasses off to press his index finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose in an unsuccessful attempt to ease the tension. 

“Can you provide the address, Detective Forbes?” He says in a patient tone. It’s definitely not this person’s fault. 

“736 Ocean Drive.” 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

He hangs up with a loud sigh and heads out putting his work and life on pause again to fly over in search of a missing Mulder and Scully. 


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skinner walks into the lobby (...)  
> It’s past 5, the weather is more humid than he’s used to, his suit is suddenly too tight, this street is loud; he’s in Florida chasing after two adults that should know better by now.

**Chapter II**

Tony, the security manager, stands in front of the elevator holding two catatonic FBI agents by their wrists when Detective Honey Forbes reaches the third floor. He most definitely does not get paid enough to deal with all this. 

“I really have to go back to work.” She tells him sparing no time for greetings. 

“With all due respect, me too. I can’t babysit these people.” 

He called her to inform that her coworkers had apparently lost their minds after attempting to enter The Forbidden Room and housekeeping reported two unresponsive adults dressed in suits standing by the door. 

“Honey.” Scully says in monotone. Detective Forbes frowns at her. 

“She’s not talking to you, that’s the only thing she can say.” Tony disclaims.

“Scully.” An inexpressive Mulder calls.

“And that’s the only thing he can say.” 

“What happened? I thought you couldn’t find them. I even called the FBI’s headquarters. I’m already in trouble for bringing them here.” 

Tony stares at her. The elevator rings open and a couple of clueless guests walk past them. 

Detective Forbes pushes, “I was strictly told to stay out of this case.” 

“That’s because you were suggesting it was a ghost.” 

They’ve been working together on this case for too long, he hoped and prayed they were done. 

“Tony, you and I know something’s off. What if it’s the room that did this to them?” 

“Honey.” Scully repeats.

“Yeah, that much is clear. I still can’t help you. No one comes alive of that room. I don’t care to find out. Maybe they’re just drugged.” 

“Scully.” Mulder responds.

Honey looks at Tony, Tony looks at Honey. 

A silent agreement to stay out of whatever this mess is. 

She sighs and puts her hand inside Mulder’s jacket looking for their room key, when she finds out that it's not there, she reaches into his pants’ back pocket. “Scully.” He says again.

“That was unnecessary, I have a master key, I work here.” An annoyed Tony, who hasn’t let go of either agents in fear that they’ll wander off, pulls Mulder away from Honey and starts leading them all to the suite at the end of the hall. 

* * *

“What if they hurt themselves?” Detective Forbes anxiously expresses once Tony has closed the door.

“They barely move.” He hangs the Do Not Disturb sign on the doorknob so they don’t rise anymore suspicion. 

“What if they jump off the window?” She walks behind him towards the elevator. 

“That’s going to be your problem.” He stops at the door of room 306, checks that it’s properly closed. He considers knocking the standard three times and coming in, but saves himself from interacting with anything unknown. “I have a hotel to work for, this FBI stuff is on you.” 

Her phone starts buzzing, she presses the button to call for the elevator. “Call me if anything else goes wrong. I’ll come back after work.” 

The last thing she sees before the doors close is Tony shaking his head at her. 

* * *

Skinner walks into the lobby to meet Detective Forbes. 

It’s past 5, the weather is more humid than he’s used to, his suit is suddenly too tight, this street is loud; he’s in Florida chasing after two adults that should know better by now. He feels sorry for himself, he woke up on this Thursday celebrating that the weekend was near. Now, he’s more worried than angry, he would never admit to it but perhaps the rest of his frustrations will show only if he finds them. 

He’s pondering on his priorities when someone reads his mind:

“They’re upstairs.” an intimidating blonde says in absence of introduction. 

He looks at the badge hanging on her blazer. “Nice to meet you.” 

Detective Forbes exhales an apology and shakes his hand. 

Skinner rolls his carry-on following the loud clack of her heels across the lobby.

“I was told they were missing and panicked. I can’t believe I made you fly here but I wasn’t supposed to come back until later today, which is now, and as you must know I am not supposed to get involved.” The rest of her ramble fades away while she explains the specifics of the case. As she recites again the important facts, she’s lost his attention somewhere between broken camera and Forbidden Room. 

Once they reach the suite, he has a lot of questions. There’s a _Do Not Disturb_ tag on the doorknob of a room with one bed, his agents are standing right in front of them. 

Mulder and Scully remain frozen on the spot. Skinner’s hand tightens his grip on the handle of his carry-on. He was expecting to rescue them from the end of the world. 

“Scully.” Mulder mutters. 

Skinner allows himself to be upset at them now that he sees they’re safe and sound. “She’s right here, yes. Explain yourselves.” 

“Scully.” He says again. 

“Agent Mulder.” He warns.

“Scully.” 

He turns to Detective Forbes, who is currently fascinated by her nails like the most existential answers rest on her fingers. He waits for the silence to be heavy enough that she’ll look up and elaborate. 

“I, um, that’s how I found them a few hours ago, but you had been notified already and, uh, I- that’s how they’ve been since security found them. We put them in here so they were safe.” 

“Are they drugged?”

Her eyes widen, she shakes her head, “Not that we know of, no. We-” she corrects herself, “I believe that some,” her hands wave in front of her, struggling to find the proper words, “ _surreal_ force might have affected them, like I said, they attempted to go into room 306.” 

"Can I have a moment with them?" Skinner asks.

"They don't say much."

"Scully." Mulder proves her right. 

"That's all you'll hear." 

An uncomfortable silence settles between them. She asks how else she can possible help; he sends her for coffee because he doesn’t want her around anymore and needs to evaluate the situation without here there.

“Coffee. Yes, I can do that.” She says in her sing-song voice before he finally gets a chance to face his agents alone. 

* * *

In room 306, Mulder taps on his watch. 

Time froze. 

"Remember when we lost 9 minutes?" He says to Scully's back.

"We did not lose 9 minutes." 

"You're seriously looking out that window into a night twenty years ago telling me you still don't believe me. I saw the time then, how do you explain that?" 

"I can't." 

"Well, my watch isn't working now." 

He walks closer to her to grab her wrist, her velvet soft skin distracting him for a second. 

"How?" He feels her whisper into his ear. Her watch isn't moving either. 

“But what if…” he opens the door and brings her out with him. 

“Scully.” They both turn and see the back of A.D. Walter Skinner trying to direct a version of Mulder and Scully that look like they’re sleepwalking in the hall. 

Before questioning whatever’s happening Mulder pushes her back into the room and closes the door, he runs to the window to check if it’s still 1981 outside.

Yes, still no palm trees. 

“Scully, the door is the gateway!” 

“Skinner is here! And we were right there! It’s been a couple of minutes, when did he get here?” 

“I told you. Time travel.” 

“Mulder, I just _saw_ us!” 

“I thought this wasn’t an x-file.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her.

“Hi.”

“Jesus!” Scully jumps and turns around only to bump into Mulder’s chest, he already has his gun out and holds her to him with his free arm. 

A middle-aged man dressed in black from head to toe holds both hands up to assure them he means well. 

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

"Who are you?" Scully regains composure with a hand on her hip. Close to her gun in case she might need it.

"Manny. I, uh, I live here." He walks back to sit on the desk next to the window. "I wasn't going to introduce myself but I never thought you guys would come back, no one survives the shock they just pass out. And I need friends, tell me about y'all." 

Mulder is grinning at Scully like they just discovered a treasure, he walks over to one of the beds and places a hand next to him on the mattress like he's inviting her for story time. She shakes her head at him but gives in and joins him. 

Manny witnesses the silent conversation. “Man, marriage is tough huh?” he swings his legs on the desk. 

“Excuse me?” Scully scolds him.

“No, I’m sorry, I’m sure you love each other.” 

“Not married, sorry pal.” Mulder says before she argues any further.

“Y’all fight like you are.” 

“We’re partners, FBI, special agents.” She flashes her badge, Mulder goes along. "Now, explain yourself."

* * *

He died on a summer night of 1981. It was perpetually the same time of that date for him in that room. 

“That explains why it’s been hours back there.” Mulder turns to her in search for validation. "Skinner's with our bodies-"

"Because we're not dead." Scully says in a small voice. 

Manny was a hitman who wanted to quit the cartel but couldn’t. 

“My, um, the witch. She knew I was coming that day to quit on my boss and she promised to find a way to protect me. There are... risks when quitting that sorta business." He takes a deep breath, counts with his fingers: "I got shot, fell against the door, woke up inside the room. She was here.” 

“What happened then?” 

“Ey, that’s private.” 

“You slept with the witch?” 

“She was my, uh, my partner.” 

Silence.

“Not like you.” 

In case Scully feels insecure, Mulder squeezes her knee in reassurance. She slides apart from his touch.

“I meant we were _together_.” Manny’s voice fades looking down at their closeness. Even with Scully's attempt for distance, their pinky fingers are meeting in between them on the duvet. “But y’all don’t want to tell me if that you are. That’s private, so I won’t ask. See? Easy to stay out of it." 

“So, you died but you stayed in this, what is this? A dimension?” 

“Don’t ask me. That’s the witch’s bizz.” 

“So what- you’re what, an angel?” 

“No. I just time travel to kill criminals.” 

“That’s logical. Right Scully?” 

She only rolls her eyes at him. 

“Listen, I’d really like to die. I won’t lie to you. Last thing she told me, she can’t figure out how or why I can’t.” 

“We need to go back and find her.” 

* * *

The moment they walk out of the room, their watches work, their phones have signal.

The hallway is empty and silent. It could be any time of any day. 

They don't have enough time to wonder if they're back to their present because the door of the suite, their suite, at the end of the corridor flies open, a shocked Skinner runs to them. 

"Sir." Scully starts. 

"Oh, now you talk!" Skinner hisses at them. "You just _disappeared,_ right before my eyes _._ I just saw you _disappear_. I opened the door to look around for you and you're fresh, safe and sound. What in the world is going on?" 

"We can't explain yet." Mulder starts walking to their room like he's not afraid they're about to lose their jobs. 

The three of them enter the suite to find an expectant Detective Honey Forbes in the middle of it. 

"Oh. You're back!" She hugs Mulder for dear life. "We just saw you-"

" _Disappear._ Yes, we've been informed." Scully finishes the sentence for her. 

Skinner shuts the door, "This is the last time I risk my job for you," his intro interrupted by a worked up Mulder pacing around the room.

"That was definitely time travel then. We have to move at the speed of light in order to cross paths with- to- to control what moment in time we stop at but given the location-"

"I wonder if you ever heard that there's a pyramid under the Bermuda Triangle-" The detective's voice is tentative at first.

"A krystal one, yes." 

"That's what makes the-"

“Some strange energy, we're on one end of the triangle." Mulder starts searching for a pen and a note pad on his jacket, he pats himself until he finds them and he bents to use the desk in front of the bed. "I wish we had a map.” He says while trying to sketch their location. 

“You’re suggesting the room holds a magnetic force?” Honey says in awe. 

"There are both natural and paranormal explanations, but trying to stay in logic, compass variations are involved in most cases of missing planes in radars, the ones that come back explain things no one outside of them witnessed, changes in the weather, strange sightings of-" 

"Unidentified Flying Objects?" She completes for him, he nods.

From then on they only speed up.

"Maybe he's trapped in a void, the fact that it's night time for him the room. It could be linked to something deeper." Mulder's voice fades and comes back, he's thinking out loud.

“There are 60 rooms in the property. That is the actual mystery, Mulder." Scully says to the ceiling while no one is minding her. "It’s impossible that he would know who is a criminal and when they’re coming or that he would be doing daily rounds to identify them. Someone is notifying him.” 

They ignore Scully. Or can't hear her in between their enthusiastic voices. They were supposed to be questioning how to find the witch, how to figure out who it was, the rest was speculation, an impractical waste of time. The last thing they might do as a team because their boss flied over in the meantime. They have no time for fanatic banter.

“Oh! You know about that? Or the Orion Correlation theory?” 

“Yes, pyramids connecting with each other, magnetism forces serving as messengers.” 

"Controlling everything from the weather to, to, uh..."

"Our perception of time and space." Honey follows his train of thought like they're speaking a language of their own.

"Hence: reality. It might not be time travel then but an illusion." 

"What about our bodies staying here? We're not dead like him." Scully reasons but Honey speaks over her "If the krystal pyramid under the triangle is what causes the confusion, it's all connected." 

They get carried away trying to make sense of it. 

“Mulder,” 

Mulder doesn’t hear Scully because Honey raises her voice. 

Skinner is gulping back bitter coffee, "Wait but first, who knows about room 306?" He asks Scully the specifics he didn’t pay attention to before, his priorities being different a few hours ago. She doesn't listen or look back, she's concentrated on jumping in the second either one of these stubborn people pause to breathe. 

Mulder's voice overlaps his superior's, "What about parallel universes?"

"Or an alternate reality." 

"Mulder!" Scully tries to speak over him but Honey takes the lead again. 

"Quantum physics has proven it possible."

Skinner tries again, "Who was here when the first incident of 306 happened?" When they're ignored again, she's done with it.

"MULDER!" Scully shouts that loud scream she reserves for life or death moments. 

The dead silence that falls over the suite is immediately broken by Honey’s phone ringing. It’s her boss, they found out about her involvement in the case somehow. 

After a quick apology she means to rush out, except the door is stuck; she anxiously tries a couple more times but doesn't manage to open it. Mulder walks over to help her trembling hands. Scully looks away for everyone's sake.

Mulder comes back into the room, “Why are you upset?” He challenges her. 

Her tone is cold, “Lock the door.” 

Scully forgets that Skinner is still in the room with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will be up in a bit. I'd love to hear what you think!


End file.
